Rotatable sprinklers



sept. 1o, 1963 z. RAEM ROTATABLE SPRINKLERS4 Filed Jan.

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INVENTOR. Z EE v RAEM BY- and /cvwu Arran/Veys v the urge of la spring and, possibly, its weight.

3,103,313 n ROTATABLE SPRINKLERS Zeev Raem, Shlomo Hamelech St. 22, rEel Aviv, Israel Filed Jan. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 165,755 Claims priority, application israel Jan. 29, 1961 3 Claims. (Cl. Z39- 230) United States Patent O springdbiassed weight is used. This latter isy deflected from its position of rest by the impinging water jet ejected from the nozzle, and returns to its former position under At the end of this return movement itstrikes the turnable arm of the device, or a part integral therewith, with a certain force, so that the arm is turned by the impact through a small angle. IAs such deflection and return motion repeats itself rhythmically the device is slowly `and step- Wiserot-ated. Although such stepwise movement is desirable, the necessity of providing a spring and la bracket,

or hinge, for the swinging weight is a drawback, making the device costly and unreliable. Other devices, provided with a propeller or impeller vanes and a toothed gear, are still more costly and complicated.

It is the object of this invention to provide a sprinkler which `also functions on the impact principle which, however, does not employ springs, hinged parts `and swinging masses. v

It is -a further object of the invention to provide a sprinkler which is simple "in construction `and reliable and foolproof in use.

Finally it is -an object of the invention to produce Ia sprinkler at low cost.

According to the invention, there is provided a sprinkler head, to be fitted rotatably on a riser, comprising .a cage having at least an inlet and an outlet opening in its circumference, a freely movable ball or other rounded body, such .as la cylinder, being enclosed therein, a circular, oval, or elliptic path being provided in the cage for the said body, the cage being connected to ya tubular arm in a position slightly inclined to the horizontal, the said arm ending in a nozzle which latter faces the said inlet to direct `a water jet substantially tangentially into said cage at the lowest portion of the latter, the other end of the arm being so designed that it can be turna-bly fitted to the end of a riser, the arrangement being such that the water jet emanating from the nozzle will pass freely through the cage and, on striking the ball, will force the latter to roll along the circumferential wall of the cage for a certain distance, thus escaping from the jet `and then to roll back .to the initial position of rest, to 're-enter the jet and for the ball.

to be pushed -by the jet against the wall of the cage so as to strike i-t, thereupon recommeneing the sequence of said movements, thus :striking the wall rhythmioally and thereby turning the sprinklephead step by step with every strike.'

In ya preferred embodiment a race-like guideway .for the 'ball is provided within the cage. f

In still another embodiment a dellector is provided in the path of the ball thereby that the guideway is curved slightly towards the interior of the cage and ends abruptly some distance from the' wall, so las to force the ball to abandon its substantially circular path near or at the lowest point of Ithe cage and to strike the of the deflector.

ICCl f According to yet vanother important feature of the invention, means lare provided positively forcing the rolling body into .the jet whenever the 4body is yabout to reenter the path of the jet.

This and other features of the new sprinkler head will become clear from the following detailed description in lconnection with the drawings, showing in FIGURE 1 the new device in a schematical side elevation.

FIGURE 2 is a plan View thereof, partially in section.

FIGURE 3 is la similar View of a modified form.

FIGURE 4 is a View similar to that of FIGURE 2. and illust-rating a special feature :of the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a fractional rear view of FIGURE 1, partly in section.

In a nipple 1 is turnably inserted a bent tube 2, its lower, downwardly extending end 2 being turnable, but water-tightly held in the nipple l. The upper portion of tube 2 extends upwardly and radially in relation to the nipple and ends in a nozzle 3. To said nozzle is Welded at 4 (see FIGURE 2) a flat, cylindrical cage 5 in such a manner that the axis of the nozzle is directed towards the interior of the cage in `a Way that the axis of the nozzle is substantially tangential to the cage. Cage 5 has a 'slot 6 in its circumference permitting free passage for a water jet emanating from nozzle 3. Such a jet (see FIGURES 2 and 3v) will thus pass, for a short distance, through the cage -near its circumference. Within the cage 5 is located and :freely movable =a steel ball 7 of a diameter substantially equal to the height of the flat cyl-inder forming cage 5. When the ball is struck by the jet, it will be driven within the cage along its circumference in the direction ofthe Iarrows (FIGURES 2, 3, and 4) in 'a substantially circular path. The ball Will be carried by the force of the jet to a distance which depends on the weight of the ball and the velocity of the jet. When the fonce acting onthe ball is spent, the circular movement of the ball is yat end, and it will roll to the lowest point of the edge where it will re-enter the jet and will be forced by the latter to the wall, striking it approximately at 6' imparting to the cage and thus to the device `a turning movement in the direction of the yarrow y. Now the ball 7 will be carried further by the water jet 'and will be again driven around as described, repeating the described movement indefinitely as long as Water gushes from the nozzle. In this way the sprinkler head will be turned around stepwise, irrigating a circular area ina well known manner. For this performance even a very small water pressure such as `0.2 to 0.3 atm. will be sufficient, as practical tests have shown. For smoother running two parallel, circular ribs or shoulders 9 may be provided in the cage (see FIGURE 5) to serve as a guide means or race To increase the said impact there may be provided, additionally, a deector l0 as shown in FlG- URE 3 directing the rotating ball 7 and forcing it to abandon -t-he circular path, to strike the wall of the cage dueto centrifugal motion at .a predetermined point, at which the ball re-enters the jet.

The delector is a rib, curving towards the centre of the cage. It ends abruptly :at tl'; at this point the ball leaves the race With a slight Icentrifugal motion towards the wall, knocking against the latter.

FIGURE 3 shows, furthermore, an alternative manner of fixing -t-he cage 5' to the arm 2, by means of a bracket l1 -xedby -a set screwy 12. In still another lmodification .a hinge 13 may be provided for adjusting the relative positions of nozzle 3- and cage 5.

Ordinarily a steel or copper ball will be used which, due to its weight, will smoothly re-enter the jet at d. In cases, however, Where the ball is either .too small or of lighter material, say plastic or rubber, it might not be heavy enough to re-enter the jet and thus knock onto the wall of the cage. It might =be carri-ed on the surface of the water jet. To meet this `contingency ,and to counteract it, a pin (see FIGURE 4) may be provided across the cage at Ya distance from point 6 which is about equivalent to the diameter of the ball '7. Thus the ball, rolling yalong the deilector `and dropping ofi at 10" will be caused by the pin l5 to enter the path of the jet and will be forced by it against the wall of the cage.

A number of other modifi-cations would be within the scope of the invention which has been shown and described by way of example only; the cage may have addition-al openings in its circumference and/or in the topand-bottom-walls `as well. The outline need not abe circular, it could be elliptical or oval as Well. The inclination tothe horizontal can easily be made adjustable, By turning it to the opposite side of the arm, the se-nse of rotation of the device could be reversed. Instead of a ball a disc, preferably with slightly convex end surface, could be used.

I claim: v

1. A rotatable sprinkler comprising a nipple adapted to be connected to a source of water supply, a bent tube rotatably journalled at one end in the end of said nipple, a nozzle connected to the other end of said tube, and means connected to said tube adjacent said nozzle for imparting intermittent angular rotation to said nozzle when water is discharged from said nozzle, said latter means including a cage defining yan endless curved path, means for mounting7 said cage eccentrically in respect to the `discharge of said nozzle, and said cage being provided with opposed inlet and outlet openings :arranged on a common side of the center of said cage and `disposed in `axial alignment with :said nozzle, said nozzle being arranged to discharge directly into :said inlet with the jet emanating from said nozzle flowing straight through said cage through said inlet and `outlet. openings, said inlet and outlet openings being disposed so that the water jet flowing therethrough ows in a .path contiguous to the arcuate wall portion of the cage disposed between said openings, and a rounded body freely movable enclosed within said cage whereby the water jet upon strik-ing said body propels the same around the endless path defined by said cage a predetermined dist-ance for imparting `thereto a centrifugal motion to impart to said nozzle yan intermittent rotary movement.

2. A device for connection to a conduit, which conduit is pivotally mounted for the discharge of liquid in all angular directions, comprising a disceshaped hollow cage,

in opposite sides thereof at a spaced location from the center of said cage, a weighted ball in said cage freely reliable therein, said cage having means for connecting it to the conduit in a position to align the inlet and outlet openings in alignment with the liquid flow ,through the conduit yand to incline the cage to cause the ball to roll by gravity to a position within sai cage in `alignment with said inlet and outlet openings, whereby, when liquid is owing through said inlet and outlet openings of said cage, it will impart .a centrifugal movement to the ball to cause the Ilatter to roll around sai-d cage .and cause movement ofthe conduit around its pivotal mounting.

3. A rotatable sprinkler comprising a nipple adapted to be connected to la source of Water supply, a bent tube rotatably journalled at one end in the end of said nipple, a nozzle connected to the other end of said tube, and means connected to said tube `adjacent said nozzle for imparting intermittent .angular rotation to said nozzle when water is ldischarged from said nozzle, said latter means including ya cage dening an endless curved path, said cage being eccentricailly positioned with respect yto the discharge of said nozzle, and said cage being provided in opposed inlet 'and outlet openings disposed in axial alignment with said nozzle, so that when the cage is eccentrically disposed with respect `to said nozzle, the jet emanating from said nozzle flows straight through said cage through said inlet and loutlet openings, said inlet and outlet openings being disposed so that Ithe water jet dowing therethrough flows in la path contiguous to the arcuate wall portion of they cage disposed between'said openings, `and a rounded Vbody freely movable enclosed Within said cage whereby the water jet, upon striking said body, propels the same 'around the endless path defined by said cage a predetermined distance for imparting lthereto la centrifugal motion, and ta clamp member including a bracket portion connected to said cage and a collar portion extending `around said bent tube, clamping means on said collar portion for fixing said collar portion in rela tion to said bent tube, said clamping element being pivotally connected to said collar portion to permit location of the inlet and outlet of said cage in alignment with said nozzle discharge.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,742,898 Buelna Jan. 7, 1930 1,919,243 Munz July 25, 1933 2,086,515 Evans July 6, 1937 

1. A ROTATABLE SPRINKLER COMPRISING A NIPPLE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY, A BENT TUBE ROTATABLY JOURNALLED AT ONE END IN THE END OF SAID NIPPLE, A NOZZLE CONNECTED TO THE OTHER END OF SAID TUBE, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID TUBE ADJACENT SAID NOZZLE FOR IMPARTING INTERMITTENT ANGULAR ROTATION TO SAID NOZZLE WHEN WATER IS DISCHARGED FROM SAID NOZZLE, SAID LATTER MEANS INCLUDING A CAGE DEFINING AN ENDLESS CURVED PATH MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID CAGE ECCENTRICALLY IN RESPECT TO THE DISCHARGE OF SAID NOZZLE, AND SAID CAGE BEING PROVIDED WITH OPPOSED INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS ARRANGED ON A COMMON SIDE OF THE CENTER OF SAID CAGE AND DISPOSED IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID NOZZLE, SAID NOZZLE BEING ARRANGED TO DISCHARGE DIRECTLY INTO SAID INLET WITH THE JET EMANATING FROM SAID NOZZLE FLOWING STRAIGHT THROUGH SAID CAGE THROUGH SAID INLET AND OUTLET OPENINGS, SAID INLET 